Appendix 14. Excreta pit (stools and vomit)

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    14.1 Choice of location

    • At least 30 metres away from all wells, boreholes and water sources
    • At least 5 metres away from all facilities
    • Easy access and ground that allows liquids to infiltrate into the soil

    14.2 Materials

    • Material to temporarily delimit the worksite (tape and posts)
    • Plastic sheeting
    • 1 or 2 x 200 litre metal drum(s) (if 2 drums, weld them together to form a cyclinder), with top and bottom removed and perforated all over to let liquids infiltrate
    • 120 litre plastic container with a lid, with a hole cut in the bottom to let liquid pass through, leaving a rim of 5 cm
    • Wood to construct the platform (frame and platform)
    • Sand bags (stabilised sand)
    • Gravel
    • Hammer, nails, wood saw, string, tape mesure, shovel, pick and crowbar

    14.3 Clearing the site

    • Remove all plants and debris. Level the ground. Delimit to ensure safety of the worksite.
    • Mark the perimeter of the pit on the ground (1 metre in diameter).
    • Dig the pit: mininum of 90 cm deep and maximum of 1.50 metres. The bottom of the pit must be 1.5 metres above the water table.
    • Insert the 1 or 2 metal drum(s).
    • Fill the empty space between the vertical walls of the pit and the drums with gravel.
    • Stack up 3 layers of sandbags, in staggered rows (the bags should not be placed one directly ontop of another, they must overlap) and leaving the pit off-centre (A).
    • Place a sandbag to fill the empty space between the side of the 120 litre container and the supporting structure formed by the other sand bags.
    • Cover the sandbags with plastic sheeting and spread it at least 60 cm into the first drum (C).
    • Place the wooden platform (B) on the sandbags covered in plastic sheeting (C).
    • Insert the 120 litre container into the wooden platform (C).

     

    Note: if the water table is too high to dig at least 90 cm into the ground, raise the supporting structure or choose another method of treating faeces and vomit.

     

    CHO-Annexe 14

    Key

    1.  Plastic sheeting
    2.  Wooden platform (25 x 100 mm)
    3.  Wooden structure (50 x 50 mm)
    4.  120 litre plastic container
    5.  Sand bags (stabilised sand)
    6.  200 litre metal drums
    7.  Gravel
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